“My job has recently been transferred from the UK to an Asian country. With the move from my established position to a new challenging role in a new environment, I suddenly found myself lacking my usual level of confidence...”

Positive Voice Blog

Whether you like it or not, your voice categorises you. It
speaks volumes about who you are and how you feel. It gives people an idea of
where you're from and whether you are switched on and emotionally balanced.
When someone picks up the phone to you, they will quickly read in between the
lines and assess what kind of person you are and whether they want to interact
with you.

Isn't it interesting that people go to gym to look after and
perfect their body, but only a few seem to train their voice? When was the last
time you had a vocal check-up? If you lose your voice from time to time, you
probably aren't using it correctly. If you don't like your voice, you could do
a lot to improve it. Without it you are lost, with it many are mis-understood. The
voice is highly overlooked and neglected, yet invaluable.

I recently worked with a business woman who had an
incredibly soft voice. When I mentioned this to her, she said “I know, it’s
because I’m shy”. This response may seem fairly logical to you, but it left me
with several questions; when did she decide to ‘be’ shy? Does she just feel shy
sometimes or does this emotion define her? If she strengthened her voice, would
she feel more confident? In any case, a couple of months later, she left me a
voicemail to say that she was running late for her Skype lesson and her voice
sounded incredibly loud, clear and confident. Working on her voice and resonance had clearly
made an impact.

This whole process is holistic, so ideally we work not just
on the voice, but mindset as well, so that when you communicate your voice
and emotions are in alignment and saying the same thing.

For further information about training in spoken
communication and mindset, contact Francesca directly:

Anxiety is a state that comes from within. Yes, of course external factors play a part, but the final decision as to whether you feel anxious is yours. Anxiety can be very useful, as it acts as a warning signal; If you feel anxious about an upcoming commitment, it usually means that something needs to be changed. If you need to pack for your holiday, the anxiety serves as a reminder to finish your packing. If you have a public speaking engagement coming up, perhaps the anxiety is a reminder that you need to prepare your speech. If you have been invited to your ex's wedding, then the anxiety may just be a warning sign that you shouldn't go! Only you can decipher your anxiety. Ask yourself BOLD questions and you will receive BOLD answers.

If your anxiety relates to things outside your control or you struggle to find a rational explanation for it, then my latest hypnotherapy audio may be just what you are looking for. Let go of anxiety now is available on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon music.

People often come to me saying that they are keen to develop a British accent and from time to time, these same people seem to run out of enthusiasm and stop practicing.

Is this because they are not motivated?

Actually, the answer is different for everyone, but often they really do want to develop a British accent, but there is something holding them back. For instance, a client i worked with this week isn't managing to fully resonate her voice in her throat and all the cavities in her head and chest. The result is that her voice resonates in her mouth, which stops her from having a polished, British accent. What is causing this, you may wonder? Well, this week she mentioned that she is scared of sounding too loud. So, here we see two conflicting desires.

There is an interesting link between our emotions and our voice. We often show others how we feel through our vocal tone. In fact, if you fully connect with your emotions, others will see exactly how you feel just by looking at your physiology and listening to your voice. Fear isn't a huge problem if the individual is aware of it, as we can quite easily overcome irrational fears, can't we? I often find the best way to overcome low level fears is to question them and turn them on their head:

I asked her if i spoke too loudly? She said 'no'. I then said, well what makes you think you will speak too loudly if you follow the same steps that i follow to achieve a clear voice?

"Many of our fears are tissue paper thin and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them." Brendan Francis (Behan)Need a little guidance and motivation, try my digital course in British Accent Coaching. Be sure to listen to the hypnotherapy audio.

I first experienced the power of hypnotherapy just after graduating when i took a job in public relations. I was feeling the pressure and it was having a negative impact on my health. I took a train from Victoria to a little town south of London. I went with an open mind; i was optimistic and ready; the perfect mindset for a successful outcome.

After the first session, i returned home feeling calmer already. I was getting ready for bed when i discovered the first shift. For two years or more, i had had a red mark on my shin the size of a 50 pence piece; it looked a little like a cross between eczema and a blood blister- it didn't hurt or itch, but i had visited the doctor to see if i could remedy it, in vain. To my great surprise and utter disbelief, it had vanished completely! I stared at the place it had been, i even checked the other leg to make sure i wasn't mistaken; nothing; it had healed. Not once had i mentioned this to the hypnotherapist; it wasn't something that i considered to have been a product of my mind. I had suffered from eczema as a child and had just accepted it.

At this stage, i didn't entertain the idea of becoming a hypnotherapist, but the experience did open my mind to the power of our thoughts and i began reading about the unconscious. A few years later when i began offering lessons in spoken communication, i recognised that a therapeutic offering would really complement the practical training that i was already providing. I chose Neuro Linguistic Programming and Hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy is great if you are someone who wants to surrender to a process and not become too involved yourself. Conversely, Neuro linguistic programming is perfect for those who prefer to participate actively in the session. I like both as they are very solution focused and only require a brief explanation of the problem before moving away from it; most people find this to be a great relief.

If you are interested in experiencing hypnotherapy or sharing this wonderful tool with friends and family over Christmas; i have just released my first hypnotherapy audio on iTunes and Amazon.

If you like it, please do leave me a review and share the link with friends and family.